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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1326.PDF
NOVEMBER 21, 1918 time, were numb and worried me considerably. The coldraw air made my eyes water, and I was compelled to fly with my head well down inside the cockpit." I kept at it until my oxygen gave out, and at that point I noticed my aneroid indicated very nearly 29,000 ft. Thethermometer showed 32 degrees below zero-, Centigrade, and the revolutions per minute had dropped from 1,600 to 1,560.This is'considered very good. But the lack of oxygen was affecting me, I was beginning to get cross, and I could notunderstand why I was only 29,000 ft., after climbing for so long a time. I remember that the horizon seemed to be verymuch out of place, but I felt that I was flying correctly and that I was right and the horizon was wrong. " About this time the motor quit. I was out of gasoline, so I descended in a large spiral. When I descended to about 20,000 ft., I began to feel much better and I realised that the lack of oxygen had affected me. I passed down through theclouds at 16,000 ft., and, as I remember, it was snowing from these clouds upon the next layer, some 4,000 ft. below. Iam not positive of this, as I may have been affected by the lack of oxygen. I noticed as I descended that the air seemedto be very thick and stuffy, but very nice and warm. I did not see the ground from the time I went up through theclouds above Dayton, Ohio, until I came down through them again at 4,000 ft. above Canton, Ohio, over 200 miles fromwhere I started. " I was 1' st, beyond a doubt, with a dead engine over veryrough country. I landed O.K. and broke the tip of my pro- peller, which was standing vertical, when I rolled into adepression in the ground. However, I did not nose over or do any other damage to the plane myself. I flew^back toDayton with a new propeller." THE 45O H.P. NAPIER "LION" ENGINE IT is now possible to give a few particulars of the specialengine for aero work produced by Messrs. D. Napier and Son, Ltd. The general arrangement of the " Lion " engine canbe gathered from the photograph ; the twelve cylinders, 5£ in. bore, are arranged in three banks so that three pistonsare connected to each crankpin of the four-throw crankshaft, the centre pistons having a master connecting rod with linksfor the side ones. The crankshaft is carried in roller bearings. Made from steel forgings the cylinders are fitted with steeljackets,! while the head is of aluminium and carries to prevent them freezing at high altitudes. During a testof one of these engines a temperature as low as 35 deg. Cent, was recorded. Lubrication has also been the subject of special study ;it is entirely automatic and designed with a view to pre- venting over-lubrication when the machine is dived or climbedsteeply for a long time. All moving parts of the engine are enclosed, and the usualaccessories are fitted, provision being made for starting, speedometer drive, &c. The general arrangement of the 450 h.p. Napier "Lion" engine. act directly on the valve heads, and two exhaust valves to each the camshafts which There are two inlet cylinder. Arranged low down at one end of the engine, the car- burettors are fitted with separate intake pipes with a view to eliminating any possibility of the machine catching fire owing to engine trouble. If there should be a back-fire in one cylinder the other two blocks will keep the engine run- ning and suck in the flames. Special attention has been given to the heating of the carburettors, and the water jackets are carried down and round the throttle barrels -themselves A reduction-gear is fitted with the drive for the air-screw above the crankshaft, TJ( In one respect the photograph does not do justice to the engine, and that is in giving an idea of its small size in com- parison with the power developed. It is also light, the weight, we understand, working out to I -85 lbs. per b.h.p. at normal power. In spite of this the engine maintains the Napier reputation for reliability, and a machine fitted with one of these engines has achieved records. Although they are not available at the present the petrql and oil consumption figures are said to be very good. A Charge of Perjury ROBERT TAYLOR, an aeronautical engineer and companypromoter, of Old Broad Street, surrendered to his recog- nisances at the Guildhall on November 14th, to furtheranswer charges of having committed wilful and corrupt perjury in affidavits sworn in the High Court in an actionbrought by a Greek shipping agent to recover ,£5,000 advanced by him to the defendant for the purpose of paying InlandRevenue fees in connection with a proposed increase of capital of a company called the Associated Aircrafts (Limited). Mr, Cecil Whiteley, prosecuting, asked the Alderman to commit the defendant for trial, not only on the charge of perjury but also on a charge of the fraudulent conversion of the ^,000, or such part of it as he was supposed to have paid for Inland Revenue fees. He should call evidence to show that the defendant had spent the money on other things. Mr. A. Bryan, for the defendant, said his client would plead not guilty and reserve his defence, and he was com- mitted for trial. I327
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